William Pitt the Elder, 1st Earl of Chatham, for which Pittsburgh and Chatham University are named, was born in 1708 to a merchant family. He rose to great heights in British politics, serving at various times as a member of Parliament, secretary of state, and prime minister. Most of this collection consists of letters sent from Pitt’s wife, Hester, to Alexander Hood, who lent the couple money during times of financial instability. The remainder of the collection contains assorted documents detailing some of the political activities of Pitt as well his son, William Pitt the Younger. Digital reproductions of the collection are available electronically by following the respective "Digitized Folder Contents" links within the finding aid.